Creating your eCommerce website is common nowadays, especially since many people find purchasing online more convenient than going to a physical store. According to the latest survey conducted by Statista, about 29 million Canadians are expected to buy online in 2022.
For this reason, stores offer standard shipping Canada to ensure that every item ordered will be received by the customer. Canada is a massive country, and some shops are not easily accessible in some locations. While Canadians are known to be meticulous regarding products and prefer to see and touch them, getting stuff and delivering them right to your doorstep is more favorable.
This situation is an opportunity for every entrepreneur to start their eCommerce journey. Check this article to see the eCommerce checklist you need to complete!
If you are unfamiliar with a custom domain, it is an exclusive brand name that distinguishes a website. It is essential because it serves legitimacy and ownership over your website. You can find these custom domains in the address bar at the top of every browser.
The top 10 eCommerce domains in 2022 are amazon.com, ebay.com, amazon.co.jp, rakuten.co.jp, amazon.de, etsy.com, aliexpress.com, walmart.com, amazon.co.uk, and avito.ru. As you may have noticed, three Amazon websites are included in the list. However, these domains are individual entities with separate analytics and data. They are also ranked separately.
Choosing the proper domains will boost brand identity, increase site credibility, and be easy to remember. So, think of a simple yet unique and compelling name for your business.
A solid online presence can be developed, and your customers can receive helpful information from your website. Today, a company's validity might be questioned if it doesn't have a website. Customers anticipate that reputable companies will have websites and social media accounts.
While the standard web pages include the home page, product page, shopping cart, and check out, you can still add a few more to make your website more personalized.
Apart from the mentioned web pages, you can add a shipping page, returns, profile/account settings, and a help/contact us page. For the shipping page, you can insert FAQs such as "How long does standard shipping take in Canada?" or the process of shipping packages in Canada to provide an estimated delivery time of how long they need to wait for their parcel.
Check-out is the last step before the buyer confirms their order. The process consists of multiple phases, which could include applying coupon codes, calculating taxes and shipping fees, and selecting preferred payment options and delivery methods. In this process, the online store finalizes the total amount that must be paid, allowing the buyer to further review their purchase before proceeding with the payment.
Ideally, the checkout process of your e-commerce site should be simple and easy to complete. You will want the buyer to finalize their purchase and pay up, so you don't want anything to get in their way. Avoid further upsells once the customer reaches this stage, and invest in an exemplary user interface.
Creating an online store from scratch may take technical prowess, and not everyone has half-decent web development skills. Fortunately, you don't need to study how to code to create your online shop. You need to invest in a good eCommerce platform that provides everything you need to set up your site.
It may not be cheap, but it will have everything from store templates to payment gateways. Others may even provide an extra layer of security to your eCommerce site.
You want your site to be found by people looking for your offers; this is where search engine optimization or SEO comes in. Reaching SEO means setting up your site so search engines can index it and make it more visible in relevant search results.
SEO can be categorized into two, namely on-page and off-page SEO. The former covers the technical aspects of the website, such as page load times, headlines, meta descriptions, and image optimization. On the other hand, the latter refers to actions taken outside your eCommerce website that affects your search engine ranking, such as link building, guest posting, and brand mentions.
Nonetheless, your brand should be one of the top
Email marketing is a great way to connect directly with potential buyers to communicate with potential buyers directly. Basically, you send emails to people who may be interested in what you offer or who have opted into your email list.
This is a proactive way to promote your online shop and is far more effective than waiting for the results of your more passive marketing campaigns.
As an entrepreneur, you will want to earn profits above all, which would mean making transactions easier with your customers and managing your business more conveniently. In an era dominated by smartphones and other mobile devices, this is where the power of mobile applications comes into play.
Now, what sort of mobile applications should you be taking advantage of? Here are a few that come to mind:
If you need to be able to manage your business on the go, you will need to have a mobile CRM app. It should help you care for everything, from working on customer information to running an email marketing campaign.
Online shopping apps tend to have large user bases. You can use their familiar platforms to extend your business' reach while providing your customers an easy way to shop all they want from your store. You can also take advantage of these apps' promotional features, such as a gift card and discount creators.
Social networks can help amplify your online shop's reach. As such, it pays to use their apps to upgrade your business's online presence. It also helps that social media platforms like Facebook have features dedicated primarily to online companies.
When your business has an active social media profile, it will be appropriate for you to install a unified instant messaging app on your device. You surely don't want to miss a private message from an interested potential customer.
Shipping and delivery services are vital to an eCommerce business's success, so you need to be meticulous in planning your shipping strategy.
While you have plenty of shipping carriers to choose from, partnering with the most suitable company will benefit you more. Standard delivery is the leading shipping option for most customers, partner with a carrier that can offer cheap shipping in Canada, a faster delivery time, and a flexible shipping process.
On the other hand, they should be able to meet your expectations and keep up with the demands, especially when you expand your business. If you have not yet considered any shipping company, consider Stallion Express.
It is the cheapest to send a package around Canada, to the United States, and internationally. They can help you complete domestic shipping, compete with US sellers, and accept international orders. Additionally, they have other shipping options available, such as express shipping, priority mail, and overnight shipping.
You must create your Stallion Express account to take advantage of this service. Once done, you can streamline your shipping process by integrating all your online stores with Stallion Express. You can manage each order from all your eCommerce platforms efficiently without switching channels.
Once you process a shipment, you need to upload credit to your account, get the package you are shipping ready, and print the shipping label. Ensure the shipping address and all shipping information are correct to avoid issues and delays. Customers do not find this funny, especially if they need the items immediately.
After confirming the shipment, you can drop off the parcel at the nearest Stallion Express branch or schedule a pickup if it is more convenient for you. You have two options for pickup: Stallion offers a complimentary pickup service within a specific route. United Parcel Service also offers pickup service, but for an additional fee.
You do not have to worry because the website is user-friendly and easy to navigate, allowing users to complete the transaction in a few clicks.
Aside from the advantages mentioned above, Stallion Express allows you to escape the tedious customs task. You do not have to worry about paying the customs fee or completing the customs form because Stallion will process all these jobs on your behalf.
Plus, you can offer free standard shipping to your customers occasionally because of the cheap shipping cost the shipping service may incur.
All you need is to plan your eCommerce journey!
Starting an eCommerce business is no easy undertaking, but it pays to know what you need to get everything set up. Managing your online business should not be a hassle without all the necessary tools.
Contact Stallion's reliable customer service for more information about this service!
Diana leads the growth marketing initiatives at Stallion Express. As a personal trainer turned digital marketer, Diana is obsessed with equipping eCommerce entrepreneurs with everything they need to scale their online businesses. You can catch her doing yoga or hitting the tennis courts in her spare time.
Read all posts written by Diana Zheng
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